


Reunion

by CatyCoffeebean



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Beth Greene Lives, Daryl In Love, F/M, Minor Maggie Greene/Glenn Rhee, Minor Rick Grimes/Michonne, Parents Daryl Dixon & Beth Greene, Pregnant Beth, Protective Daryl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-16 06:12:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7255723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatyCoffeebean/pseuds/CatyCoffeebean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl returns to the funeral home every time he goes out on a run--but one day in particular, he comes across Beth, who survived the gunshot wound.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you guys like this and decide you want to see more I’ll make it a multi-parter, but this was mostly just a oneshot to help me get my Bethyl feels out. :) Please let me know if you want more to it.

                He had gotten used to being alone again.

                Since Beth had been shot, Daryl hadn’t been the same. He had found himself returning to the funeral home, his hands trailing over the ivory keys of the piano. It reminded him so much of the night he had jumped into the casket and rested while her pure, comforting voice had rung out in the room.

                Daryl was here again now. Beth’s words to him echoed in his mind— “ _You’re gonna miss me so bad when I’m gone, Daryl Dixon._ ” As always, she had been right. He missed her more than he would ever admit aloud. He had wanted to stay here with her, have some sort of a life. If they had never run into anyone from the prison again, if none of them had made it, he would have been okay with just staying by her side.

                How was it that she had seen so much good in people even after all she had been through? After her father had been beheaded mercilessly by the Governor? After Daryl had yelled at her and treated her so roughly when he was upset before she had embraced him from behind?

                Scars still liberally adorned Daryl’s back, and here was Beth writing thank-you notes to someone who may never even return to the place they had been staying. Despite his best efforts to keep his emotions in check, a few tears escaped his eyes, and he wiped at them hastily.

                Sitting down on the piano bench, he looked at the sheet music on the stand. Not surprisingly, it was still open to the song she had been playing—it appeared that nobody had been there since the two of them. Daryl rested his arms on the piano keys, his face in his hands. The instrument made an awkward sound of protest as he did so, as he shook like a leaf.

                A moment or two after, there was the noise of someone at the door. Daryl jumped up and grabbed his crossbow, instinctively assuming that it was a walker or two. A surge of anger filled him briefly as he recalled the situation from last time. Things could have been _all right if he hadn’t opened the damn door_.

                There wasn’t any walker outside that he could see, miraculously. That didn’t mean, however, that he would open it wide for someone or something to just waltz on in. He placed one hand on the doorknob and slowly pulled it ajar, and almost fell backward from the sudden loss of breath. As this occurred, he unceremoniously dropped his crossbow on his foot, and then let a very crude expletive slip out as the weapon smashed his big toe through his shoe.

                It was Beth.

                She had a whitish-pink circle on her forehead where the bullet had hit, but she was alive. Living, breathing, here in front of him. Was this true? Or was it the bit of moonshine he had drank earlier kicking in and causing some sort of drunken hallucination? Daryl tentatively reached a hand out, and she took it, intertwining their fingers as she placed it on her cheek.

                “Hi Daryl,” she greeted, as if none of the nightmarish events had occurred, as if she had just gone out on a quick supply run. “Sorry I took so long to get back.” Beth’s gaze was sheepish, her blue eyes staring down at Daryl’s feet. Before she could say anything else to try and explain, he had wrapped her in a tight embrace.

                Beth was so short compared to him that when he hugged her, she almost disappeared into his arms—which was exactly how he wanted it. Daryl was not going to let anything harm her ever again, and would fight tooth and nail to keep her right where she belonged, at his side. “How the hell can you just ‘hi Daryl’ me after all of that shit?” he asked, his voice breaking ever so slightly.

                This was a side of him that Beth had only seen once or twice, but even then, he had been quite reserved in what he said or did. Even though she wasn’t used to it, she wasn’t opposed to it. After a small pause in which she tried to get her bearings, she wrapped her arms around him in response and squeezed tightly. “Sorry.” _Heh…Daryl’s just like a big teddy bear,_ she thought to herself as she buried her face in his chest. He had a few cuts here and there on his cheeks, and one on his forehead, but overall he was in quite good condition. “Where are Rick and the others?”

                “Told ‘em I was going on a run. Ended up taking a detour and coming here,” he replied, obviously not wanting to say much to her about it. “I come here most days. Been trying to see if it would be a good enough place to keep the core members of the group. Maggie’s gonna need a spot to have her baby that’s safe enough, and we need a safe place for Lil’ Asskicker to grow up too.” His face was resting in her hair, and he inhaled and exhaled, finally regaining some composure.

                When he tried to withdraw from the embrace, however, he was stopped abruptly. Beth was still clinging to him, which surprised him.

                “What’s goin’ on? Something bothering you?”

                “I missed you. The whole time, I—I was wondering where you were, and then…everything went dark. I mean, I knew you were there, but after the bullet…” Beth shook her head. “I don’t remember much of what happened after that.”

                Daryl bit his lip and looked away as if the memory pained him to recall. “I shot her in the head and took you out. Everyone thought you were dead. We took care of you, but…I don’t know what happened after we left.”

                Beth looked up at him, and then absentmindedly began playing with a long strand of hair that had fallen into his eyes. “I remember waking up in a camp. There was a nurse there, but I can’t remember what her name was—no, wait. Her name was Josephine. She had a fair amount of supplies, and bandaged me up. We started talking, and she asked what had happened to me, where I was going…stuff like that.”

                “And?” Daryl prompted. He was only half listening to Beth’s story. She was here. It was a miracle from some divine force.

                “I didn’t need to say much about where I was gonna go after she patched me up.” Beth’s face slowly heated up into a rosy shade of light pink. “She could tell. She gave me some supplies for the road and wished me the best. Sent me off with one of her group members about halfway. I broke off from him when I reached the cemetery. He had some supplies to get or something. I mean, I had only one place in mind to go to find you. This place is the only one that would make any sense. If you went back to some spot we had been, I figured this would be it.”

                She withdrew slightly from his grip and smiled. “So, did you miss me as bad as I said you would, Daryl Dixon?”

                Daryl rolled his eyes and slipped a hand under her chin, tipping it up so it was angled towards his face, and he leaned in and kissed her. It was tentative, fearful, as if he had no idea what he was doing. Beth gasped aloud in surprise, and her mouth opened under his. Despite that, she smiled against his lips, and shut her eyes, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. Daryl pulled away for a moment and opened his eyes.

                “I’ve never…fallen in love with someone before,” he murmured, resting his forehead against hers. His confession was so quiet that she had to strain to hear it, and she blushed when she realized just what he had admitted.

                “D-Daryl, you— _you love me_?” They were still standing on the front threshold of the funeral home, but Daryl pulled her inside the building and shut the door so her sudden shriek wouldn’t attract any walkers, and nodded.

                “Would I say somethin’ like that if I didn’t mean it?” he asked, holding onto her hand. Glancing around, he released her from his grip, and then grabbed a chair and placed it against the doorknob to keep anything from getting through.

                “No, you wouldn’t,” Beth answered, her gaze searching his for some sort of response. “I—I love you too, Daryl.” As soon as she had said this, he sealed her lips with his, deepening the kiss. “Dary—mm!” She was cut off by the affectionate gesture, swept away by his newfound confidence. Daryl had always struck Beth as the kind of guy who would be completely awkward and shy when he was falling in love or debating what to do, and his first kiss had confirmed her suspicions. This one, however, was completely different. He was firm but loving, his touch declaring that she was his, that she was safe, that he was going to stay by her.

                “At this point it’s a little late to return to the others, so we’ll stay here tonight. There’s still some of the food and stuff left, so we can eat, rest up, and then take some of it back to them.” Daryl began walking in the direction of the kitchen as if he hadn’t just kissed her like that, like she was the light at the end of the tunnel for him, and Beth stood in place a moment longer before she followed him.

                “Hey, Daryl,” she piped up from behind him. “Do you think there’s any coffee or anything in there? I’ve been wanting some for a while now.” He was a few strides ahead of her, and she could hear him rummaging around in the cabinets, setting things down and moving them out of the way.

                “No dice, sorry.” He did, surprisingly, pull out an unopened package of fig newtons, and Beth’s whole face lit up. “The hell are these things?”

                Beth giggled. “You’ve seriously never had any of these? You’ve _never_ had a fig newton?” she teased as she came up beside him. Even though his face was turned slightly away from hers, she could see that his cheeks were the same rosy shade hers had been earlier. “Oh my God, Daryl!” Laughing even more, she took the box from him and opened it, inhaling the delicious smell of the snack. “These are the best things we’ve found since we’ve been on the run!”

                Daryl rose one eyebrow before absentmindedly rubbing the scruff on his chin. “They’re that good?”

                “Yup! Here, try one!” Beth reached into the package and pulled out one of the fig newtons, holding it against his mouth, which was dead set into a firm line. “C’mon, you dork. Don’t make me spoon feed you.” When he didn’t open his mouth, Beth’s expression smoothed out to a completely deadpan one, and she drew back her hand, still holding the fig newton.

                “Here comes the airplane!” she teased, making large arcs with the snack as if it were a fighter jet.

                “Holy shit, Beth. I’m not a kid. Give me the thing.” Daryl plucked it from her hand after another arc and ate it. “’S’not bad,” he admitted as he chewed thoughtfully.

                “See?” Beth popped another into her mouth, munching happily. They were sitting on the floor of the kitchen, leaning up against the lower cupboards. After a moment or two, Daryl reached out his free arm and placed it around her waist, drawing her close to him. He was sitting with his legs apart slightly, and once she was up against him, he pulled her so that her back was resting against his chest, and he could wrap his arms more fully around her.

                “Daryl?”

                “Let’s just stay like this. Just a little longer.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, so I decided I didn't want to just leave this one abandoned. I feel like I could do so much more with it. So enjoy! I'll try to update this thing as often as I can. :)

A few hours had passed, with Daryl and Beth both lying together against the cabinets. Daryl was snoring loudly, and the noise sounded like a motorboat. Beth’s head was resting against his chest, and she was listening to the sound of his heart beating. It was incredibly comforting. At least there was still one person out there who she had left. Even as she stirred in his arms, he didn’t move. It was surprising; she expected someone as alert as he was to have jarred awake hastily at the slightest noise or movement.

 One eye opened lazily, and he yawned. “Beth?” he asked, and she looked up at him. “Where are we?” It didn’t appear as if he was fully conscious yet, and a small grin creeped on to her face.

“We’re in the funeral home. It’s still nighttime. I think we must’ve dozed off.” She disentangled herself from his hold, and stood up and stretched. “You’re comfortable, so I’m not too stiff, but I think you’ll probably have a helluva crick in your neck.”

Daryl let out a grunt as he stood up, and rotated his head in a circle. There was an unpleasant cracking noise as he did so, and he winced. “Ya weren’t kidding.” Looking around the kitchen, he exhaled. “Didn’t finish checking around after them fig newtons. You hungry?”

A nonverbal indicator sounded out loud and clear as Beth’s stomach rumbled, and she covered it with one hand. “I’ll take that lovely sound as a yes,” he declared, standing up on his tiptoes to reach the top shelf. Daryl was tall, but not nearly tall enough to just reach standing at his full height. “Looks like we’ve got some crackers, a bit of oatmeal, and an unopened box of cereal, at least in this particular cupboard.”

“What kinda crackers?” she asked, looking ready to scale up his back so she could see just what he was looking at. “Graham crackers? Saltines?” Daryl pulled the box down and held it out to her.

“Looks like some of them Ritz party ones. Wonder if there’s any of that cheese stuff in the bottle,” he mumbled, his voice almost inaudible due to the fact he had gone back to rummaging through the varied food items. Placing box after box on the counter, he then moved onto the next cupboard. “Let’s see what we got in this one.” Sure enough, he withdrew an unopened bottle of spray cheese and held it out to her.

Beth took it from him and her expression lit up in that ever familiar way of hers. God, he was so glad she was all right—glad she had made it back to be squealing over a load of food Daryl had never even thought they’d find. It was such a mundane thing happening right then, but to him…it was everything.

“Here. Give me a boost up. I wanna see what else we can find,” she declared. Daryl squatted with a sigh, and she jumped onto his back, now able to see what was in the cabinet better. “Hm…some energy drinks. That’s a bonus!” After she got them out, Daryl set her back down, and she placed them on the table. “We should save some of that stuff for later.”

He pulled out a chair and sat down, opening the box of crackers. “Just something to tide us over. Then we should be hittin’ the sack for real so we can get up bright and early. Gotta get back to Rick and them so he doesn’t start thinkin’ I got turned into a walker or somethin’.”

“Fair point,” Beth replied. “So, um…about earlier—you meant what you said?”

Daryl only let out a grunt, averting his gaze as if the cracker and the bottle of cheese was the most stellar thing he had ever laid eyes on. “’Course. Wouldn’t lie about it. Wouldn’t lie to ya.” He was rewarded when she grinned again, blushing happily. There it was again, that bright burst of hope in his chest that he felt whenever she was with him. That light had been extinguished when he thought she was dead, but now that she was by his side again, everything was how it should be.

“So when you prefaced that whole thing with ‘I never’, was that a reference to our little game?” she asked, spraying cheese onto the cracker in her hand. All Daryl did was grunt again, but from that one noise, she was able to detect his answer. After a few more moments of quiet eating, Beth got up from the table and yawned. “I wonder if there’s any beds in here. Aside from the caskets.”

Daryl followed suit, also standing up. “Should be an undertaker’s house or somethin’. They always had to take care of this kinda morbid stuff. Dunno if undertakers were still a thing before the turn, but if there’s a house around aside from this one, we could sleep there for the night.” He began packing some of the food and beverages in his bag before slinging it over his shoulder. “Got your gun? A knife? Somethin’?”

Beth held up her gun in response. “Yup.” Daryl’s hands were now gripping his crossbow again, which he had picked up after kissing her and closing the door.

“Could be walkers outside. Better to be careful. I’ll go first. You stay right behind me and _don’t leave my side.”_ His tone was firm and breached no contradiction. It was not a request—it was an order. “I’ve already lost enough people. I ain’t about to lose you. Got that?”

Beth nodded mutely.

“Damn straight. Let’s bust this joint.” Daryl opened the door slowly and surveyed the cemetery. Night had fallen, and thankfully there was no sign of any walkers. Perhaps they would get lucky enough and not have to fight. He led the way, making sure she was right behind him as they dashed towards the house that was practically beckoning to them from behind a large headstone.

There was, much to Daryl’s chagrin, the growl of a walker coming in on their right. It grasped onto Beth’s arm, and she screamed, paralyzed with fear. Daryl whirled on the walker, and bashed it over the head with the back end of his crossbow before kicking it away from Beth. When it was on the ground and looking up at him, snarling again, he quickly shot it with one of his arrows right in the center of its skull.

Beth was breathing heavily, covering her mouth with her hand. Daryl ripped the arrow out of the walker’s head and put it back with the others before running back over to Beth. She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. “I feel so stupid for bein’ so terrified, but…I couldn’t help it. It came out of nowhere.”

One of his hands traced gentle circles on her back, and the other went to cradle the back of her head, resting in her golden locks. “It’s not your fault, Beth. Ya weren’t expecting it.” It didn’t change the fact that he could feel her shaking in his arms, didn’t change the fact that he could feel her heart beating in double time, thumping against her chest like a trapped bird. “Now let’s get to that house so that kinda thing don’t happen again.”

She nodded, forcing her breaths to slow as they completed the trek to the undertaker’s house. Daryl opened the door slowly before he knocked on the wall and whistled to check if anything was inside. Nothing moved or responded to the sound, so he turned his head to Beth and nodded quietly. “It’s okay to come in.” When he saw just how shaken up she still was after the previous incident, he reached out and held her hand, entwining their fingers. Beth squeezed his hand in thanks. It proved just how close they had become—they didn’t need words to communicate. A simple glance or noise would be more than enough.

Dust coated everything in the house, from the couch and recliner chair in the living room to the staircase that led to the upper floor. Still holding her hand tightly, Daryl proceeded cautiously up to the next level of the house, relaxing when he saw there was no sign of any walkers or any other person, for that matter. “Looks like it’s been abandoned for a long time.”

Daryl continued down the hallway, opening doors to see what any of the rooms may contain. There were two smaller bedrooms and one large master bedroom. “Time to get our asses to bed.” He took her to one of the small bedrooms, which had likely belonged to one of the undertaker’s children. “G’night, Beth.” Daryl released his hold on her hand, but kissed her forehead lovingly. Beth smiled a little in response and walked over to the bed.

“Hey, Daryl? Do you think we could, um…maybe share the master bed?” Beth asked, and Daryl’s blue eyes widened to the size of a dinner plate. “I—I just don’t wanna be all by myself, y’know?” She cast her gaze to the floor, and shifted her weight awkwardly from foot to foot. “And I think having you next to me might help me a lot.”

It was such an honest request that there was no way he could refuse it. “All right, c’mon.” She followed him out of the small bedroom and to the large master bedroom which contained a neatly made king size bed in the middle. “Damn, will ya look at this? There’s enough room for like ten of us.”

Beth climbed onto the bed after pulling the covers back and then looked at Daryl expectantly. He sighed and then climbed in next to her, drawing the large comforter back over them. “Here,” he directed, helping her position herself so she was facing the opposite direction. She glanced back at him in confusion, but then he positioned himself so that his chest was positioned against her back, so that the two were spooning. Beth had only done it once before, but it seemed as if Daryl had not.

His heart was beating rhythmically, and she was comforted by its constancy—by _his_ constancy. Daryl’s touch was warm, his legs twining with hers just like their fingers as his arm draped over her side. “’S’okay, Beth. I’m here. Go to sleep.”

And for once, Beth didn’t have any nightmares.


	3. Chapter 3

            Beth didn’t have any nightmares.

            Daryl did.

            He was plagued by dreams of Beth being taken away from him in a car, the car that led to Grady. He was tormented by vivid images of her being taken down by walkers, swarmed, and he wasn’t able to do a thing.

            Sunlight streamed in through the window in the bedroom, illuminating Beth’s peacefully sleeping figure and Daryl’s perturbed form. He shot up in the bed, sweat coating his forehead as he breathed in and out heavily. He turned his head quickly to the side, and exhaled in relief when he saw Beth breathing normally and saw that she was unharmed. Lying back down next to her, he curled into the spooning position yet again.

            “Thank God,” he murmured, and then Beth awoke only a few moments after, rolling over to face him.

            “Everything okay, Daryl?” she asked, feathering her lips over his affectionately. Daryl closed his eyes and slipped a calloused hand into her hair, letting the blonde strands fall as they may. When he didn’t answer the question, her thin, pale brows drew together into a frown. “Hey…what’s wrong?” she asked gently, her thumb tracing light circles on his cheek as if to comfort him.

            “Bad dream. Just wanted to check to make sure you were okay.” He nuzzled into her neck possessively, and Beth felt the butterflies return. She certainly hadn’t expected Daryl Dixon of all people to elicit this kind of reaction from her, but here she was. “That bitch Dawn—I can’t get the image of you gettin’ shot out of my head.” Daryl’s grip tightened, and she felt a slight wetness on her shirt--was Daryl crying?.

            Before Beth could interject, Daryl continued, by no means finished with his declaration. She could feel her heart breaking for him with every word he said. It was obvious that he had hit the edge; he had shouldered so much and blamed himself for so many things that he couldn’t simply have prevented. Surely he was blaming himself now for what had occurred at the hospital. “If I had protected you, kept you with me, hadn’t opened that freaking door, none of that would have happened. You wouldn’t have been hurt. I didn’t—couldn’t protect you. That’s on me. It’s just like I said that one time…I could’ve done somethin’. Only this time it wasn’t the others. It was you.”

            Beth was reminded of that fight outside their old, burnt down house, the fight where he had broken down his walls, and broken down emotionally for the first time ever in front of her, and she had reached out to him, not wanting to watch him fall apart. “Daryl, please don’t blame yourself. I can’t stand to watch you fallin’ apart like this. You’re here now, you’re keeping me safe now. Focus on the present.”

            Daryl shut his eyes, still in the position of hiding his face in her neck. He had to force himself to listen to her words and focus on what she was saying. She was here. He was protecting her. She was safe, in his arms, reassuring him. “I’m all right. You’re okay. I just—that was a really jarrin’ incident.”

            Beth kissed his hair, her lips lingering there. “You’re so different now. You used to be such a dick, but now…now you’re everything I think I ever wanted. You’re…you have hope. I can see it.”

            Daryl snorted. “Statin’ the obvious, huh?” He withdrew his head from its previous spot so that he was looking up at her. “Weird, though. I said that one time that I wasn’t afraid of anything, but now—but now the only thing I’m afraid of is losin’ you. I’m afraid of losin’ Rick and the others. You’re…you’re the most important thing to me, Beth.”

            His sudden eloquence took her by surprise. “I’ve had enough of hidin’ my emotions from you. I’ve done it enough. You’ve seen darker sides of me than this. ‘Bout time I be honest with you.” Daryl sat up in bed, and Beth copied his action, rubbing the last few traces of sleep out of her sapphire blue eyes. She snuggled close to him and allowed him to calm down completely.

            “How does oatmeal sound?” she asked after he released her, placing a kiss on his temple. “Sound good?” Beth was answered with a small nod, and then she smiled, beginning to hum a small song. “Meet me in the kitchen.”

            Daryl watched as she departed from the room. She was like a heaven sent angel in a hellish, ruined world. Beth was absolutely beautiful, even just walking around an abandoned house in a shirt that was big enough to be a nightgown. The tune she was humming sounded vaguely familiar to him, but he didn’t have enough musical knowledge to be able to deduce what it was. Once she had gone downstairs to begin making breakfast, Daryl threw on his vest and then descended down to watch her cook.

            It almost felt like a normal life. It felt normal, felt right to be here with her, curled up in bed, murmuring into her ear, watching her cook breakfast. “Hey, Beth?” Daryl said simply. She glanced back at him and smiled a little as she continued preparing their food, quietly indicating that he could ask his question or say whatever it was he was trying to say. “Love you.” It was all he said, but she knew. Knew how deeply he cared for her, how much he loved her. And she loved him just as much.

            “Me too.”

×××

            The pair was silent as they finished breakfast. Beth took the bowl from in front of Daryl after he indicated he was done. “Should we be gettin’ back to Rick and the rest of them now?” she asked. He nodded, but gestured to her partially dressed form.

            “Can’t have ya goin’ back to the group wearin’ only that shirt.” Beth flushed in embarrassment. He was right though. “Get dressed, get the last few supplies we need from the main building, and then we’ll go.” She headed upstairs, leaving Daryl at the table. The most he had to do currently was get his shoes on and make sure he didn’t forget his crossbow.

            Upstairs in the bedroom she had shared with Daryl, Beth was searching around through the dresser for women’s clothes that would fit. The shirt she had worn to bed was one of Daryl’s spare ones, and while it was comfortable and she almost didn’t want to take it off, he was right about it being a bad idea to just wear it around with nothing else covering her legs.

            Slipping it off, Beth folded it and placed it on the bed. There was a blouse in one of the top drawers, and when Beth put it on, it fit her snugly. “There. Now all I need is some jeans or somethin’,” she murmured. After some more frenzied searching, she withdrew a pair of khakis and put them on as well. “That’s better,” she exclaimed. Double checking to ensure she had her weapons and other personal possessions, Beth descended down the stairs to meet up with Daryl in the kitchen.

            “Ready!” she chirped.

            Daryl yawned and let out a grunt. “Damn, girl. How can you be so awake at the ass-crack of dawn?” he questioned. “Takes me at least an hour to be fully functional after I wake up, and then another hour to be a courteous human being.” Wanting her touch, he reached for her and held her hand lightly. “C’mon.” While she had been changing, he had finished getting ready to leave, and now he was prepared to begin the risky trek to meet up with the others. “Hey, Beth…I’m sorry about what I said that one time, when I told ya that you weren’t gonna see Maggie again. She’s there, with Glenn, and…she misses you every day. It wasn’t right of me to say all that.”

            Beth shook her head in response to his apology, that understanding, caring smile gracing her features. “I’ve already forgiven you, Daryl.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek and then began walking towards the door. “Let’s go. You said it yourself. We’ve got places to go, people to see.” She hadn’t anticipated that this gruff, strong tracker would become so important to her, would make her laugh as much as he did.

            Daryl opened the door and led the way, all the while keeping an eye out for walkers or rogue travelers. There were occasional stops made along the way so that the two could get a drink, but he made sure that they were always moving. He didn’t hold her hand, but instead held her. She was pressed firmly against his side, where he could make absolutely sure she hadn’t wandered off or been taken from him.

            “Where are you guys stayin’?” she asked as they kept walking. They were presumably nearing the place Daryl had been referring to, though Beth knew nothing about it.

            “It’s just a cabin in the middle of the woods. Got enough space for us. Some of ‘em stayed back at a place we’d been previously—it was called Alexandria. When things got…too bad, Rick decided it was time to go. We’ve had to deal with our fair share of jackasses, unfortunately, but that’s all part of living in the aftermath of the apocalypse. Michonne and Glenn have been working on building a fence. Tall one, too. Safest place for you.” He looked back at her and chuckled, the noise a deep rumbling in his chest and throat.

            “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn’t answer, but she didn’t push him. If he wasn’t going to reply to her, she couldn’t make him. After another hour or so of traveling and bantering, along with fighting off the occasional walker or three, the pair reached the place. Beth’s breath was stolen by the scenery. It was like an oasis in a desert, like a paradise that she could never have predicted would even exist in a world like this one. “Who found this?” she breathed quietly.

            “Glenn and I,” Daryl replied. “Started trackin’ a buck for dinner one evenin’ after we left Alexandria and its trail led us here. We looked around inside, killed what walkers there were, and talked to Rick about it.”

            Beth pulled herself out of Daryl’s embrace, which had been consistent during their whole trip here. The cabin had at least three floors, and was welcoming with its quaint wooden frame and slightly tinted windows. It reminded her of their old vacation cabin, the one her daddy would take them all to when he needed a weekend away from the farm. Unshed tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, and she hastily blinked them away, not wanting Daryl to notice. “’S beautiful,” she murmured. “Absolutely beautiful.”

            Around the perimeter, there was a fence partially done, but still notably under construction. Currently, Michonne was working on it, hammering a large wooden board into place, wincing when she accidentally hit her finger with the hammer. “Hey, Michonne,” Daryl greeted, as Beth stood behind him. He, surprisingly, felt some degree of happiness. Was Beth hiding behind him so she could surprise everyone with the fact she had made it? If this was her plan, he was going to go along with it. Casting his blue gaze back to her, he saw her nod minutely.

            “Where’s Rick? Got a load of stuff to eat, along with some other stuff too. This run hit the jackpot.” Daryl held up one of the bags, which was bulging with the weight of the various boxes of cereal and oatmeal, not to mention the bottle of spray cheese, which he was planning on smuggling into his own private backpack to keep for him and Beth later.

            Michonne dropped the hammer and walked over, her katana bouncing in its sheath. “Good grief. What all did you get?” she asked, one dark hand positioning itself on her hip.

            Daryl stepped aside, revealing shy Beth behind his back. “Got this, for starters.” Michonne’s hand came up to her mouth and covered it, and she spluttered for some sort of response.

            “Daryl—is this—is Beth— _what_?” she stuttered. Daryl’s hand reached out for Beth’s, and she took it. Michonne’s gaze drifted down the length of his arm and then landed on their hands. “How is this possible?”

            She didn’t even seem to be questioning the fact that the two of them appeared to be a couple. “I have to get Maggie,” she said, turning away as she began to head towards the door of the cabin. “Maggie—! Beth’s here! She’s alive!” she cried.

            There was an abrupt scuffling noise from inside, and then Maggie almost knocked the door off of its hinges. “Beth! Oh my God—! Daryl, you brought her back!” Tears rolled down Maggie’s cheeks as she threw her arms around her sister, squeezing her tightly. “How did you survive that?”

            “It was the angle of the bullet. It wasn’t enough to actually kill me. It surprisingly missed my brain. I was able to recover after a lady helped me. She sent me off and—“ Beth stopped speaking, her face flushing as she debated whether or not to talk about her reunion with Daryl. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Maggie, rested her head in her sister’s shoulder, and cried.

            Daryl turned away to give the sisters their privacy. Michonne leaned in to whisper to him. “What was that about?” she asked, and he knew almost immediately what she was referring to.

            “I love her,” he answered, blue eyes meeting dark brown ones.

            Michonne felt as if she had interrupted a private moment between Daryl and Beth after having asked that question, interrupting a tender stare from one person to another. “I could see it in how you’ve been looking at her. Like she’s your entire world,” she commented, and Daryl looked away at the scenery around them.

            “She is.”

            Maggie released her sister and then turned to Daryl, embracing him in turn. “Thank you so much for bringin’ my sister back to me. To all of us.” Large tears were still trailing down her cheeks, and Daryl’s heart sank when he saw the tears running down Beth’s cheeks as well. He returned her brief hug, and then released her.

            “Just doin’ the right thing. But she found me. It was the other way around. I didn’t find her,” he pointed out. Shortly after this exchange took place, the other members of the group began pouring out of the cabin—Rick, Carl (who was holding Judith), Glenn, Carol, and a couple of other people who Beth didn’t know.

            Rick ran forward and hugged Beth briefly before giving Daryl a clap on the back. “C’mon inside, brother, and we can figure this all out. You’ve got a lot to update us on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I decided I didn't like the whole thing with Negan and the end of season 6, so I took the liberty of sticking them in a nicer little place where they don't have to deal with that. There are also a couple of original characters I'm going to add, just for the sake of exploring newbies and what their relationship might be like. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and keep your eyes open for the next installment to Reunion!


	4. Chapter 4

           Rick had shut the door after they headed into the cabin, and then locked it from the inside. He still seemed to be in shock after seeing Beth alive—all of them were, really. Maggie’s stomach had swollen greatly in the time that Beth had gone without seeing her, and she hadn’t even been aware of her pregnancy. She kept a motherly hand on her belly as they all got caught up on what had happened.

            “So she found you?” Maggie clarified, turning her attention to Daryl, who nodded. “God, I owe you so much. You didn’t only bring her back, but you made sure she was safe.” Maggie’s voice wavered, and Glenn silently took her hand and squeezed it.

            Daryl’s hands tightened into fists on his lap beneath the table. “If I’d taken better care of her before, I wouldn’t’ve lost her in the first place. That’s on me.”

            Rick shook his head. “No it’s not. How were any of us supposed to know that she would get kidnapped and have any of that happen?” he asked, tone firm.

            “Who are those two in the back?” Beth interrupted, pointing at the strangers. There was a young woman standing adjacent to Carl, her hands shoved into her pockets. She was also close by a young man.

            “Name’s Maria Hatfield,” she piped up. She had bright red hair and inquisitive green eyes. The man next to her stepped forward. “This here is Jared Everett. We…were the last ones alive from our group. Rick found us in Alexandria and started trying to convince us to come with him when he was gonna leave. We had nothing left there, so…here we are,” she said with a shrug.

            Daryl spoke next. “Point is, I wasn’t expectin’ to find Beth. I—“ He faltered. The funeral home was something special between him and Beth, and he wasn’t about to admit that he had gone back every day to a place she would very likely never return to. “It was a stroke of luck. That’s all.”

            Rick stroked his beard thoughtfully. It had begun to grow in again, just as bushy as the first time it had gone unshaved for a long amount of time. “It was a damn good stroke of luck.” He then cast his gaze around the room. “All right. All of you go and do whatever. I’m gonna talk to Daryl and Beth alone.”

            The rest of them left the room as he requested, though Maggie cast a forlorn stare back at her sister before Glenn escorted her out. When the door shut behind her, Rick collapsed onto the dusty recliner chair in the corner of the room. “Okay, so I have a couple of questions. Some for Daryl and some for you, Beth.”

            Beth nodded, though she was a little afraid of what Rick was going to ask. Her memory in regards to certain things was still foggy, and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to answer his questions how he wanted her to. She slipped her arm through Daryl’s and hung on, giving it a squeeze. Daryl silently covered her hand with his own.

            “First, Daryl, what took you so long to get back? We’d started thinking you got yourself into a load of trouble and were getting ready to come looking for you.” Rick shook his head as if to clear it, dropping his hand to his side.

            “Took a detour,” he mumbled, looking at Beth almost instinctively. “She came across me while I was searchin’ around for stuff. Eventually it got so late that we didn’t see any point in comin’ home last night. Beth wasn’t in traveling shape anyway.”

            Rick asked his second question, but this was directed at Beth instead. “What’s going on between you and Daryl? Seems like things are quite,“—he gestured with his hands vaguely at the sight of the two’s entwined arms and close proximity—“different.”

            Beth flushed pink and attempted to figure out just how to phrase it. “Daryl and I…we’re a couple now,” she admitted. The color of Daryl’s cheeks matched that of Beth’s. This was most decidedly an entertaining spectacle for Rick to watch. “We talked about it last night and we feel the same.” She had no idea how the others would react to their relationship—if they would approve or not, but it didn’t matter to her. She loved Daryl and that was it.

            A smile broke out on Rick’s face, which wasn’t the response she was anticipating at all. “Congratulations. It’s about time Daryl admits what we could all see.” He laughed a little and then sighed. “It’s been difficult. Difficult managing everyone. We’ve lost a lot along the way. So many people have been lost. A lot of the people we were with—Sasha, Abraham, Rosita…they decided to stay in Alexandria. In the grand scheme of things, we’re lucky to even be where we are now.”

            He shuddered, and Beth couldn’t help wondering what all they had been through in the time she had been recovering. Daryl sighed. “Rick, don’t push yourself. If that’s all the questions you’ve got for us, I’m gonna take Beth to an open room and help her get settled in. You need to rest.” Rick looked like he was going to try and protest, but it was futile, thanks to a firm glare from Daryl.

            After Daryl had taken Beth outside of Rick’s room, he exhaled slowly. “At least we’re here with them. That’s the most important thing.” Something suddenly occurred to him, and he cursed under his breath, earning a raised eyebrow stare from Beth. “There ain’t no room for you. No bedroom. All of ‘em are occupied. I completely forgot.”

            Beth smiled a little at him, seemingly oblivious to his distress. “I guess this means we get to share a room again, huh?” she teased, and he rolled his eyes. Internally, however, he was almost glad for it. It meant he could keep watch over her as long as necessary. Daryl knew she was strong—she was just like he was, tough as nails. She was like Merle in some ways; if he fed her a hammer, she would crap out nails. It took a long time for her to reach that point, but she had matured and gotten to the point where she could hold her own, and he had been witness to that entire process.

            It didn’t change the fact that in some regards, she couldn’t hold her own. While she was emotionally strong, and quite physically strong for someone of her stature, she could theoretically falter in a fight. He didn’t need to always protect her, he knew, but the instinct to do so came to him naturally, as natural as breathing. There _were_ dirtbags out there who would try and take advantage of any woman (or person, for that matter) they could get their hands on—Daryl had been witness to it. He had watched in frozen horror as Rick had bitten down and ripped out Joe’s throat when Carl had been threatened by one of the Claimer’s group members.

            The scariest part of it all to Daryl was that he would do something like that if it was necessary to protect Beth.

×××

            “Daryl? You okay? You spaced out,” she whispered, a gentle hand going to rest on his waist. His pale blue gaze had abruptly clouded over, and Beth didn’t even try to hide her concern. “You look upset, and you’re holdin’ my hand really tight.” She gestured to her hand, which was going white with how strong he was clasping it.

            “Sorry.” Daryl released her hand and shoved it into his pocket. “Just follow me,” he instructed. Beth could tell that something was plaguing him, but he didn’t seem inclined to tell her what it was right then.

            They eventually reached his bedroom, and then he shut the door. “Daryl—“ Beth started, but then she was cut off by a rough kiss from Daryl. It was demanding, possessive, yet filled with a subtle sort of panic, as if he was worried she was going to be ripped away from him even in that one moment. As if to test the waters, Daryl gentled the kiss, but then nipped questioningly at her bottom lip.

            Beth shut her eyes and surrendered herself to his kisses. They varied from gentle and shy pecks to long, needy, hot kisses to her throat and neck. “You wanna know what’s been botherin’ me?” he asked, his voice husky, filled with desire. Beth nodded, unsure of what to say.

            “Worryin’ about you. Worryin’ about all the trashbags out there who could hurt you. I watched as Rick went absolutely animalistic when some asshole was tryin’ to assault Carl. Ripped the group leader’s jugular right out and then gutted the guy who would’ve assaulted Carl like a fish. Scariest thing is, when I was reflectin’ on it, on you and protecting you, I realized I’d do something like that if it meant I could keep you safe.” His breathing was shaky as he exhaled; whether it was from the desire he felt to keep kissing Beth, or his disgust at what he would do to keep her safe, she didn’t know.

            “Sssh,” she cooed, feathering her lips over his. In contrast to his wild kisses from earlier, hers were gentle, slow, and careful, as if she was worried she was treading onto dangerous ground. Daryl made a groaning noise in the back of his throat and then lifted her up bridal style like he had done when he had carried her into the kitchen of the funeral home, though this time around it was over to his bed.

            “You sure about this?” he asked as he leaned over her, and she extended her arms out to him as if she was welcoming him into her embrace.

            “I don’t want anything else but you, Daryl Dixon,” Beth breathed, and then he claimed her lips with his own yet again—but this time, he showed her just how much, just how deeply he loved her.

            For the first time in his life, Daryl made love, as did Beth, and it was exactly that. Love.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little shorter than I would have liked, but I wasn't sure where to go with it, and I wanted to get something out before leaving on vacation. More will be coming soon, I promise!

The two were lying amidst the blankets, which were splayed over their resting bodies. Beth was lying on top of Daryl, her head on his chest. Daryl’s arms were wrapped around her, his breathing slow and steady—calm. He was finally back to normal, not worried about what might happen to her. He was asleep, and Beth took that moment to look at him in greater detail. There was something intimate in this closeness, in knowing Daryl in a way nobody else did, having him know her in a way nobody ever would.

            One thing that didn’t stop plaguing her was something she had seen when he had rolled over and displayed his bare back to her after they had finished their lovemaking. He had turned the opposite way and dozed off. There were scars all over his back, crisscrossing each other. They weren’t small ones, but large remnants of what must have been grave wounds. Daryl had never said a thing about it to her, had never given any indicator of even having dealt with something as severe as that.

            She looked up at his face and smiled a little to herself as she saw his eyes flutter. He was dreaming, and unlike before, when he had been having nightmares, this one seemed to be a pleasant one. Beth hugged him tightly, suddenly overcome with love for him. “God, Daryl. You mean so much to me,” she whispered, nuzzling close to him. Daryl didn’t stir.

            After another half hour or so of lying together in the bed, Daryl awoke and sat up, and Beth did the same. “Gonna have to go on a run. Stay here, okay?” he asked, kissing her forehead. “It’s mainly just a perimeter check, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Beth pulled away from him and tilted her head.

            “Daryl, I wanna come with you,” she protested, and she was rebuked by a sharp glare that made her wilt.

            “No. Absolutely not. I just got you back. At least this time around, I want you to stay here, in the cabin, where I know for sure you’re safe.” He disentangled himself from the sheets and began redressing himself. “Please, Beth.” There was a slight vulnerability in Daryl’s voice as he begged her to listen. It was a tone of voice she almost never heard from him, and surely one that nobody else besides her was witness to. 

            “All right,” she murmured, tucking a lock of his dark brown hair behind his ear. “Be safe.” Daryl leaned forward and kissed Beth on the forehead, letting his lips linger there. “I love you more than anything,” she told him, and she was rewarded by the shy look that filled his eyes.

            “Mm.” Daryl let out another grunt, a common noise indicating not just a lack of a response, but embarrassment as well. “Me too.”

            He shut the door after this, and Beth pulled the blankets over her bare body, giggling a little. She had been with Jimmy, and been with Zach, but it wasn’t in the way she had been with Daryl. It wasn’t the same type of feeling. This was right. It felt like something that had been missing had revealed itself to her and completed her.

            At some point, Beth was going to have to dress herself and go downstairs, but another part of her just wished she could stay in the little bubble with Daryl. As wishful as her thinking was, she knew she had a job to do.

×××

            Beth descended down the staircase, her face flushed a little as she locked eyes with Maggie. There was something in her sister’s gaze that almost seemed to see right through her. It was as if she knew that something had changed in Beth, as if she knew that her baby sister was no longer a girl, but a woman. Beth had been carrying herself differently since the hospital, and even just after her encounter with Daryl not too long ago.

            “Beth,” Maggie murmured, hands cradling her stomach. Beth smiled a little and leaned down in front of her sister’s belly. “I gotta ask you somethin’. Is there…somethin’ goin’ on between you and Daryl?” She cut right to the chase, but Beth wasn’t surprised by it.

            “Yeah, there is,” she replied. There was a moment where all Maggie could do was scramble for words, but then she sighed.

            “I could tell. Daryl was completely devastated after he thought you were dead. He was always blamin’ himself—everywhere he went, he was stumblin’ around like a walker. He was numb. Turns out he also burned himself with a cigarette. He thought we wouldn’t see, but I noticed it. Then yesterday, we could all see the change in him. He lit up. The fire returned to his eyes again.” Maggie reached forward and brushed some of Beth’s hair out of her face. “I love you, Bethy, and I don’t think he would ever hurt you. You’ve got my approval, and I’m sure you have Daddy’s.”

            “Thanks, Maggie,” Beth said with a smile. Changing the topic, she rested a hand on her sister’s abdomen. “Congratulations on the baby. So I’m an aunt now, huh?”

            “Yes you are. I just wish Daddy was here to see. It’s not fair he got taken from us the way he did,” Maggie murmured. She bit at her bottom lip, which Beth noticed had begun to create a sort of dent.

            “You know, Daryl and I—he was so gentle.” Beth knew that Maggie would be able to tell just what she was talking about, and then her sister covered her mouth with her hands.

            “You—and Daryl—he…are you serious?” she asked.

            Beth nodded. “So I guess we’ll see if something happens as a result,” she said with a gesture to Maggie’s stomach. There was a slight wince as the baby kicked, and Maggie’s belly rose up in one spot where its hand pushed against her. “I told Carol once that I’d always wanted a child, and I think even after we’ve had to take care of Judith, my opinion hasn’t changed. I still want a baby, and if Daryl and I have one, I would be the happiest girl on earth.”

            She beamed, and Maggie swallowed back tears. “You really do love him, don’t you?”

            “I do.” Beth’s answer was immediate, no hesitation present by any means. She loved Daryl to the ends of the earth. Even if she was never sure of whether or not she would live to see the next day, her love for him was the one thing she was absolutely sure of through it all.

×××

            Daryl was on a supply run with Michonne and Glenn, currently tracking an unsuspecting buck. He had it in his sights, but then a pair of walkers lumbered out in front of it and he grimaced. “Michonne,” he whispered. “How many are comin’ up from the side? Just those two?” She replied with a quiet nod, and he kept his eyes on the deer. “Kill ‘em and I’ll get the deer.”

            She and Glenn tiptoed quietly in the direction of the undead, and then when the moment was right, launched their attack. Michonne expertly withdrew her katana and sliced off the top portion of a female walker’s head, which dropped to the ground. Glenn, on the other hand, was having more difficulty. The walker he had aimed for had heard him coming, and it turned to face him, clicking its teeth and groaning. “Shit,” he yelled, and Daryl stood up from his lowered position, drawing back on his bow. An arrow shot out and hit the walker right in the back of its head, and it dropped like a rock, unceremoniously collapsing on top of Glenn, causing all of the breath in his lungs to come out with a _whoosh_.

            “God damn, that was painful,” he huffed, shooting Daryl a grateful look as the other man helped him out from under the rotting corpse. “I thought maybe I could take it out, but…it heard me coming, I guess.” Glenn stood up and dusted himself off, some of his dark hair flying every which way.

            “The deer got away. We’d be better suited to hittin’ a store or somethin’ that hasn’t been completely raided,” Daryl grumbled. He lowered his crossbow and kept walking, without waiting for Michonne and Glenn to catch up. All he wanted to do was get back to Beth, but he had promised he would bring back food, other supplies, and ammo. They were going to need medicine, antibiotics, and painkillers, especially when Maggie was going to give birth. He wasn’t about to have Beth lose her sister, and none of them were going to have a repeat of what had happened with Lori.

            “Let’s just go,” he grunted, attempting to calm himself down. Nothing would help their situation if he didn’t keep his composure. “Wanna get back by sundown.”


	6. Chapter 6

            Nothing made Beth more anxious than having to sit and wait for Daryl to return. She knew he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, and he had both Michonne and Glenn with him as backup, but she had been separated from him so long that all she wanted to do was be aware of where he was or be with him.

            Maria could sense that something was bothering her, and Beth was slightly surprised when the redhead came over to sit by her on one of the couches on the fourth floor. The first three floors of the cabin served as the main living areas while the uppermost one was a lounge and relaxation area with couches, beanbag chairs, and at least two coffee makers.

            “What’s going on?” she asked, and Beth started in surprise. “You look like you’re pining. Is it Daryl?”

            Now that Maria was sitting closer to Beth, she could see her facial features in greater detail. She had a very freckled face, which seemed to be a trait common in people with her hair color. Beth stuttered for a moment, but she answered. “Y-yes, it’s Daryl. I can’t stop thinkin’ about him. I know it’s stupid to worry about him when he’s so strong and can handle just about everything, but I just don’t know what I’d do if somethin’ happened to him.”

            Maria smiled sympathetically. “It’s not stupid. He may be tough, but ultimately we’re all human. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to Jared. He’s the last one I’ve got from my previous group and he’s the only one I know I can trust completely. I trust everyone here, but Jared has always had my back.”

            “Are you and Jared…together?” Beth asked, and Maria shook her head.

            “No. He and I are just friends. Have been since this mess started and we first met,” she replied. “I’m just saying I understand your concern. It’s perfectly justified. But I’ve also seen how Daryl carries himself, and you’re right that he’s strong. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s cautious in every action he takes,” she reassured, a small smile making its way onto her face.

            Beth grinned in response, feeling a little better after her conversation with the other girl. “Thanks. It makes me feel a lot better knowin’ I have someone to talk to aside from Maggie. She’s my sister but sometimes she wants to act like my mama, you know?”

            Maria laughed, and the sound reminded Beth of a church bell. “I didn’t have any siblings, but Jared is kind of like one for me. So I sort of know your pain.” She stood up, and stretched. “Rick’s downstairs with Judith in the kitchen if you wanna grab something to eat. You look pretty wiped. It’d probably be in your best interest to head down there.”

            Beth nodded quietly and began to descend to the first floor where the kitchen was located. It was a modern-style kitchen with stainless steel appliances everywhere. It was surprising to her how untouched this place was. It had to be a vacation cabin of some sort that somebody had owned before the turn, and they had left their supplies and other miscellaneous items here, likely expecting to return here in the summer.

            That plan had obviously not gone through, as things were well-stocked and hospitable to the group. She didn’t want to think about what could have happened to the people that had been here before. The only thing they should focus on was their own survival. The past was in the past. Rick heard Beth enter, and he turned to greet her, Judith cooing in his arms. Maggie was making some sandwiches, her attention focused completely on the food. “What brought you here?” Rick asked absentmindedly.

            “I’m hungry,” Beth answered matter-of-factly, smiling despite Rick’s slight scatterbrained tendencies. He was likely just incredibly stressed. Nowadays you were lucky if you had even a day where you could let your guard down. “Haven’t eaten since last night.” Rick held out a bag of chips and Beth grabbed a handful gratefully.

            “Daryl and the others should be getting back soon. This particular run was mainly just a perimeter check. If they end up bringing something else back, more power to them. Though it hopefully won’t take any longer than it already has, since we’re losing daylight and we need the medical supplies. Maggie’s only a few days away from giving birth; theoretically it could be any day,” Rick mumbled, worrying at his bottom lip. His blue eyes had slight bags under them, indicative of his exhaustion.

            Beth paused for a moment. “Give Judith to me. I’ll watch her, and you go take a nap. You need it.” She took the infant from his arms and he relaxed noticeably.

            “Thank you, Beth.” With that, Rick quietly slipped past Beth and headed off to his bedroom. Beth propped Judith up on her hip, watching Maggie finish making the food.

            “How long do you think we can stay here? I’m thinkin’ this is gonna be like the prison—we can be here for an unknown amount of time, but it’ll eventually crumble. Everythin’ does,” Beth murmured, and Maggie’s matching blue stare flicked up to meet her sister’s, one hand instinctively rubbing the peak of her belly.

            “I would say forever if I believed it, but it’s wishful thinkin’. I know that as well as you do,” she replied. “We can stay here as long as fate—or whatever there is—permits it. Glenn’s always worryin’ about me and the baby.”

            Beth didn’t say anything, instead reaching forward to embrace her sister. “We’ve got each other; we’ve got a roof over our heads—it’s enough of a blessing. We should just make the most of it all.”

×××

            At least two days had passed since Daryl had returned from the supply run with Glenn and Michonne, and Maggie looked ready to have the baby virtually any day now. She had taken to bed rest at Rick’s request.

            Much to Beth’s chagrin, however, she found that she was feeling ill—nausea had been plaguing her since the day she had spoken with her sister in the kitchen. Daryl was curled up beneath the sheets sleeping, one arm draped over her waist lightly. Beth felt her stomach flip, and she covered her mouth with one hand as she deftly escaped his embrace and made a dash for the bathroom door in the corner of their bedroom—each bedroom in the cabin had one, which was quite convenient.

            Flipping up the toilet seat in a rush, Beth vomited, heaving up the slight breakfast she had earlier. Once everything she had eaten was out of her system, she was reduced to dry heaving as her body sought to expel contents it simply didn’t have. Trying to keep the gagging quiet so she wouldn’t wake Daryl, Beth flushed the toilet, wiping at her mouth. “Ick,” she grumbled. After a moment or two trying to catch her bearings, she reached over to the cabinet doorknob next to her, searching around for something.

            “Found it.” Beth withdrew the item from beneath the sink, and glanced at the box to make sure she knew the instructions. “Okay, so…one line is not pregnant, and two lines is.”

            It was a pregnancy test.

            Though it could be very unlikely, she was going to test it just to make sure. It was better to be safe than sorry. Beth followed the directions step by step and then stepped out into the bedroom to wait. It could take anywhere from twenty-five minutes to a half an hour to get the results.

            Beth paced to and fro, hands clasped behind her back. Daryl didn’t stir, which reassured her a little. She wasn’t sure she was ready to tell him of the results if it turned out to be positive. Daryl didn’t seem like he would be opposed to having a child, but then again, she had never talked to him about it. It was something that could likely be very hit or miss with him. Either he would be happy or he wouldn’t be.

            Once the clock indicated a half an hour had passed, Beth went back into the bathroom and shut the door. The test was lying face down on the countertop, and she took a deep breath before flipping it over.

            There were two lines.

            She was pregnant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from vacation now and raring to go! It's still going to be continuing, and I'm going to try and get back on a regular updating schedule when I can. Seems like chapters are gonna be kinda short, but you'll get a lot of them. Thanks for all the support you guys have given me thus far <3


	7. Chapter 7

                The only thing that Beth could say was a muffled “oh, my God,” as she looked at the positive test. It was time to tell Daryl, she supposed. There was no point in hiding it from him, since he would find out eventually. It would also be pointless to hide it whenever she would begin showing. Putting the test in her pocket, she shut the bathroom door and slowly walked over to the bed, sitting down on it.

                Beth placed one hand on Daryl’s arm and shook him awake gently, watching his eyelids flutter as he opened them. “What’s goin’ on?” he slurred, wrapping his arms around her waist affectionately. He could feel her inhaling and exhaling slowly, as if she was trying to calm herself down. “Is something wrong?” His tone of voice instantly became protective, and concerned all at once.

                “I’ve got somethin’ to tell you,” she started, wringing her hands aimlessly, hoping she could get her words out without stuttering. “It’s—well, it’s not the easiest thing for me to say.” Beth reached into her pocket and withdrew the pregnancy test, holding it out to him.

                Daryl took the stick from her and looked at it, his expression quizzical. “The hell is this thing?” he inquired, holding it up. It made her wonder if he had ever seen one before, if he was truly as clueless as his behavior indicated.

                Beth inhaled and then exhaled again, her hand instinctively going to her stomach. Good grief, she was as bad as Maggie now. “Daryl—I’m pregnant. We’re gonna be havin’ a baby.” She winced as she tried to anticipate what his reaction would be. It took a moment, likely due to the fact he was in a mild state of shock.

                “A baby? You and I? You’re—pregnant?” he whispered hoarsely. He received his answer when Beth nodded, and in two large strides, he had drawn her into his arms. “God, I never thought this kinda thing would happen for you and I. Didn’t think I was even good enough to be a father. Hell, I’m still not. But…” Beth embraced him, burying her face in his chest, inhaling the musky, woodland scent that was so uniquely Daryl that it made her heart ache.

                “Daryl, you’re a good man. You’re not who you were. You’ve changed. You’ll be a good father.” She looked up at him and smiled, the scar on her cheek distorting as she did so. “I was surprised. Here I was thinkin’ you might be upset. Or at the very least, I was thinkin’ you wouldn’t be happy right away.” Beth bit her lip, worried that what she had said would offend him to some degree.

                Daryl’s eyebrows rose, and he shook his head vehemently in answer. “Hell no. I’m happy. If we hadn’t ended up having one right now, I wouldn’t have made a big deal, but I’m sure one sometime would be a welcome addition. Turns out we get our own lil’ asskicker sooner than we thought.” A rare smile graced his ruddy features, and Beth giggled in response, planting a kiss on the corner of his lips. His face flushed, but he allowed her to continue peppering kisses all over his cheeks.

                “I love you, Daryl Dixon,” she said in between kisses, and she was rewarded when he replied with the same statement.

                “I love you too, Beth Greene,” Daryl replied. He entwined their fingers, and glanced at the door. “Should we tell the others about everything? Or Maggie for starters, at least. Since she’ll be havin’ her baby, and she might want to know about ours.”

                Beth nodded, and led the way downstairs. Not surprisingly, everyone save for Maggie was at the table, and they all turned their gazes to the pair as they entered. Rick smiled a little.

                “Good morning, guys. What’s up? Glenn made pancakes,” he said, turning his attention back to his plate. Judith was sitting in a highchair, and Carl proceeded to feed her a spoonful.

                “We’ve got news,” Daryl started, giving Beth’s hand a squeeze. “Beth and I are parents. She’s pregnant.” It was incredibly blunt, but she appreciated his methods. It was something she couldn’t bring herself to be openly honest about.

                Rick choked on his pancake.

×××

                Maggie was resting in bed, her eyes shut as she caressed the raised bump of her stomach where the baby kicked again. Beth had gone to lie down for a nap, completely exhausted from everything that had occurred. Daryl stood outside Maggie’s door, debating whether or not he should enter to talk to her.

                Shrugging and steeling his nerves, he knocked twice and waited for Maggie to reply. When she spoke, he opened the door, shifting his weight awkwardly. Daryl was completely unsure of what to say. Beth had told him that Maggie approved of their relationship, which would likely help his delivery of the news go over well, but pregnancy was something else entirely. And though they had managed to keep Judith safe up until now, would it work for Maggie’s baby? Would keeping their own baby safe succeed?

                “What’s up?” Maggie asked, blue eyes curious. Her eyes looked so much like Beth’s, Daryl realized. “Is somethin’ wrong?” Her voice immediately shifted to a worried tone, and he held up a hand in response to stop her from speaking.

                “Nothin’s wrong. Just had some news I had to tell ya,” he started, sitting on the edge of her bed. It was awkward for Daryl. He had spent most of his time with Beth, but because Glenn was always with his wife, Daryl hadn’t interacted with Maggie much. “Beth went to take a nap, and that’s why she’s not here with me. It’s—Beth is pregnant.” It was as if once the words had left Daryl’s lips, it made it all the more real.

                Maggie covered her mouth with her hand in surprise, but beneath it, a grin was peeking out. “You mean it? You and Beth are havin’ a baby too?” Her eyes shone with unshed tears, turning her bright blue irises into watery pools. “Oh, my God!” Forcing herself to sit up, Maggie wrapped her arms around Daryl and squeezed.

                Daryl said nothing, quite shocked by her reaction, but he gave her an awkward pat on the back before releasing her.

                “You’re the only man I trust with Bethy. One hundred percent trust, I mean. You look at her like she’s the sun, and she looks at you the same way. I know she’s in good hands with you, and I just want to congratulate you.” Maggie smiled and Daryl huffed, the noise showing just how embarrassed he was with all of this sentiment. He was never the kind of person that would openly show his emotions, and Maggie laughed.

                “Go give her a hug for me when you head back there,” Maggie requested, and Daryl only nodded, standing up.

                “Will do. You get your rest. You’re gonna be wanting it before the baby comes,” he murmured, shutting the door after Maggie said goodbye to him. Glenn was standing outside in the hallway, his face quizzical.

                “Telling Maggie about her new position as an aunt?” he inquired, and Daryl nodded. Glenn looked at the door wistfully. “Our baby’s due any day now. We’ve got Carol here with us this time around, so hopefully things don’t end up the way they did with Lori. I just—I don’t know if I’m ready to be a father. Mentally, you know? I know it’s going to happen and I’m going to have to step up to the plate whether I like it or not.”

                Daryl glanced down the hall at his and Beth’s shared bedroom before turning his attention back to Glenn. “I know what you mean. All of us have been needin’ to step up the plate lately. Rick especially, bein’ the group leader and all.” Everyone could see just how wearied he was becoming as his shoulders sank lower day after day under the weight of the world.

                Glenn’s arms came and wrapped around himself as if he could hold himself together. “I—here I was thinking it was going to be me that Negan killed, but then it was Eugene. And I—I felt so glad that it wasn’t me, that it wasn’t Maggie. I mean, he lied to us, but he wasn’t a bad guy in the grand scheme of things.”

                Daryl looked away, clenching his jaw. “That was one of the few times in my life I’ve actually been afraid. It was selfish of me to be glad too.” He always tried to put up a front of being as strong as possible, and sometimes it worked, but other times he had to be vulnerable. “I’ve also been afraid when Beth was taken, and when I saw Dawn take out the gun. There’s something absolutely terrifyin’ in not being able to do anything especially when it’s affectin’ someone you love.”

                “Are you…are you glad that Beth wasn’t with us then?” Glenn asked warily, and Daryl could only nod silently.

                “It could have very well been her if she was with us in Alexandria. Better to think she was dead, have her recover and then come back instead of having her with us and then possibly having to watch her skull bashed in.” Daryl laughed cynically and then withdrew a cigarette from his pocket, placing it in his mouth. He lit it and inhaled, calming down once the nicotine entered his system. “Now, I don’t know if I believe there’s a God up there someplace, but whatever the case, somethin’ was protectin’ Beth. Somethin’ was watchin’ over her and then sent her back to us. _Somethin’_ kept that bullet from killin’ her.”

                Glenn put a hand on Daryl’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Sometimes we just have to accept the little miracles. Beth’s surviving that was a huge miracle. Sometimes we just have to be grateful for what we have, especially in _this_ kind of a world that we’re living in.”

                He was cut short when Carl came running down the hall, breathing heavily.

                “What’s goin’ on?” Daryl asked, immediately alert. This sort of erratic desperation was far from normal for Rick’s son, so something drastic must have happened. His crossbow was resting in its normal position on his shoulder, and his hand instinctively went to it.

                “Walkers. There’s a whole huge herd headed our way.”


	8. Chapter 8

            Daryl cursed under his breath and then turned his attention to Glenn. “Go get Rick now. Tell him what the hell’s goin’ on, and to round up everybody that he can. If there’s a herd as massive as he’s implyin’, we’re goin’ to need all the firepower we can get.” Only a moment after saying this, he turned away and dashed down the hall. “Someone needs to stay here with Maggie. I ain’t about to have her by herself.”

            Glenn nodded in understanding and then went off in search of Rick. Carl went with him, perhaps to back up what information was being delivered. Once Daryl had reached the door to his bedroom, he flung it open and went speedily over to the bed. “Beth. Hey, Beth. Gotta get up. We need all the help we can get. There’s a huge-ass herd of walkers outside. I’m not exactly keen on the idea of you goin’ out there, especially now that we know you’re pregnant, but it’s not to the point that you’re showin’.”

            Beth sat up sleepily and rubbed at her eyes, taking a moment to fully process what he was telling her. “Wait—you’re sayin’ we’ve basically been overrun?” she asked, blinking away the last few traces of sleep remaining from her nap. “God dammit.” Tossing the covers off of her body, Beth hastily dressed herself and then grabbed the pistol she kept on her side of the bed. “What are we waitin’ for? Let’s go!”

            She dashed off down the hallway, leaving Daryl in her wake. He rolled his eyes but followed after her, eventually meeting up with Rick and Michonne. Rick looked from Daryl to Beth, raising an eyebrow. “Okay, what’s going on?” he asked, arms crossing over his chest. The gesture was firm, and his tone of voice breached no contradiction. “You both came running down here like the hounds of hell were on your heels.”

            Daryl continued breathing heavily for a moment or two, trying to collect his thoughts. Apparently Glenn hadn’t reached him yet—was he checking on Maggie? “Walkers. Shit ton of ‘em too. Carl saw ‘em. Gotta make this quick before they overrun the cabin.”

            Rick snapped to attention immediately, and locked eyes with Michonne. “Take Daryl, Beth, Glenn, and Carol and go kill as many of them as you can. Get Maria and Jared too. I’ll be out there in a moment. _Now!_ ” Right after this, Michonne gestured for the two to follow her, and then after she had gotten everyone else together, they burst open the front door.

            The amount of walkers was worse than any of them could have imagined. At least thirty-five to forty of them were lumbering in the direction of the cabin, and Daryl almost dropped his crossbow in shock. “Good God.” Carol, however, wasted no time, and had already withdrawn a large handgun. She expertly cocked it and then pulled the trigger, causing at least five to fall right on the spot as she hit them square in the head one after another.

            “Let’s go! Quit looking at them like you’re a bunch of dead fishes!” she reprimanded, and the group sprang into action. Michonne jumped forward and sliced the heads off of three walkers that were coming at her from the front, the left, and the right, before she stabbed each one in the center of its forehead. Daryl came up behind Michonne and then moved forward, aiming his crossbow at a walker that was headed her way.

            “Beth! Get up here so I can keep an eye on ya,” Daryl barked, and she eventually joined him, holding on tightly to her gun. One after another, he shot arrows and hit walkers, withdrawing them as soon as they were down. “We still have more to do, but we’re on our way to killin’ all these sons of bitches.”

            Beth said nothing, instead quickly shooting the walkers as they came towards her. The others fanned out behind Beth and Daryl, knocking down the walkers one by one. It was slow going, but after this continued on a little longer, they had eventually taken down all of them. Beth was breathing heavily, and she wiped some sweat off of her forehead. “Damn, been a while since I’ve had a good old fight like that,” she exclaimed with a playful smile, earning her an exasperated sigh from Daryl. “It’s really refreshin’, ain’t it?” she asked, and he cuffed her lightly over the back of the head.

            “Fightin’ walkers isn’t. You have a strange idea of what can be considered ‘refreshing.’” Daryl looked around the perimeter of the cabin to ensure that all of the walkers were dead, and that everyone was okay. When he was assured of their safety, only then did he relax. Rick did the same, and then sighed, looking like he was going to fall over from exhaustion.

            “Okay. Everyone’s all right, but we’re going to need to get the fence built quicker. No more just meandering around. I want everyone who’s physically able to begin helping Michonne and Glenn as soon as possible. I’m not about to lose this place like we lost the prison. We’re fortifying this.” Rick turned away and began walking in the direction of the cabin, leaving everyone else standing in the carnage of the dead-undead.

            Carol kicked one of the walkers with the toe of her boot, and then followed Rick inside. Everyone slowly began to trickle in the direction of the cabin except for Daryl and Beth.

            “How do I know if this is the right thing to do?” Daryl asked aloud, though this was directed at nobody in particular. “Askin’ you to carry this load. Our kid’s gonna be livin’ in a freakin’ hellhole. We’re gonna have to fight tooth and nail just to keep ‘em alive.” He sounded discouraged, and Beth embraced him from behind, reminiscent of the first time she had done so, and she squeezed tightly. It was the only way she could think to let Daryl know that he wasn’t alone.

            “You’ve got an intuition that lots of other people don’t have, Daryl,” Beth replied. “You know what the best course of action is. I’m strong, and so are you. We can both keep the baby safe. Look at Judith. None of us probably thought that she was gonna make it. You weren’t about to let her die, and neither was anybody else. _You_ went out to get formula, Daryl. _You_.” She squeezed him tightly yet again, burying her face into the middle of his muscle-toned back.

            Her embrace reassured him, and Daryl felt some of his lost confidence return to him. Beth had always been a beacon of light for him, and here she was, being that light once again. He had initially lost a bit of faith in himself after this particular walker attack that they had dealt with, but she apparently wasn’t about to let him give up or get grouchy.

            “You got a point there,” he admitted, and she smiled at him cheekily.

            “Of course I do. I’m always right,” she teased, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “C’mon. Let’s go back inside. Michonne said somethin’ about dinner, and I’m starvin’.” With that, Daryl let her take his hand, and the two went indoors, putting the messy bodies of the walkers out of their minds, even if just for a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this being such a short chapter, and for the lack of updates over like, an entire week. I've been busy with real life, and while I'd love to keep working on this fic all day, that can't happen. So I'll get chapters out when I can. Bear with me, and thank you for keeping up with this! <3


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